- This weekend's debut of Guardians of the Galaxy will be the largest August opening in history with the Marvel (NYSE:DIS) film tapped to show in over 4K theaters including 350 IMAX (NYSE:IMAX) locations.
- The studio expects a $65M opening, while some Hollywood forecasts range as high as $74M.
- The film is being closely watched in the industry because the major superhero characters aren't well-known. A successful run would bode well for more profitable character spinoffs from powerful franchises such as The Avengers and Star Wars.
- Guardians is also one of the last big chances for the summer box office to recover to approach last year's level.
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